The 2013 Nigerian Breweries sponsored Creative Writers Workshop came to a grand close on Friday, August 16, 2013 at the Oriental Hotels, Victoria Island, Lagos, with the annual literary evening. The event which was attended by the workshop participants, facilitators, members of the Nigerian Breweries family and the public marked the end of a ten day workshop to sharpen the creative writing skills of the participants.
Welcoming the audience which filled up the venue of the event, the Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr. Nicholas Vervelde said it was a great pleasure for him to be a part of this gathering of distinguished men and women of letters. According to him, Five years ago, Nigerian Breweries Plc began a partnership with Farafina Trust to sponsor the Creative Writers Workshop. This partnership was founded on Nigerian Breweries’ desire to encourage the development of creative writing skills in Nigeria, as part of the company’s strategic corporate initiatives towards talent development and youth empowerment. He said the creative writing workshop has become a major chapter of our corporate social responsibility initiatives. Through this platform, driven by Chimamanda Adichie, Nigeria’s award winning writer and creative director of Farafina Trust, Nigerian Breweries and Farafina Trust have, within the last five years, helped in no small measure to discover and sharpen literary skills in Nigeria”.
Mr. Vervelde commended Farafina for their for the contributions to make many dreams come true, adding that, “As a socially responsible corporate organization, Nigerian Breweries is committed to championing causes that would continually add to the society because of our belief that business should not operate in a vacuum, but as an integral part of the community where it exists”.
On her part, Chimamanda Adichie said that more than 800 entries were received for this year’s workshop, but the most outstanding 22 writers were selected. The writers who were taken through a ten day workshop leading to the literary evening were awarded certificates of participation at the event. Chimamanda Adichie thanked Nigerian Breweries for the annual sponsorship and the opportunity to relate, teach and inspire the workshop participants who share the same passion to tell stories.
The night also featured a Conversation with Chimamanda Adichie and the other facilitators- Eghosa Imasuen, author of ‘Fine Boys’, Binyavanga Wainaina, world reknowed Kenyan writer and winner of the Caines prize and Aslak Sira Myhre, Norwegian politician and former party leader of the Red Electoral Alliance. The session provided the audience an opportunity to interact with the facilitators.
Then came the Limpopo exponent and rave of the moment, Kcee, who shut down the hall with his hit single, which got everyone dancing and singing along.
The Nigerian Breweries sponsored Creative Writers Workshop which began in 2009 is in its fifth year. The event attracts internationally established writers as facilitators to burnish the skills of selected participants. Other writers who have participated in the workshop and literary evening include Jeffery Renard Allen, Robert Spillman, Ama Ata Aidoo and Chika Ike.
